Batman: Shadows of Gotham
by MoneyOverBS
Summary: After the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne promised to get rid of crime off the streets of Gotham City. Thus, the birth of Batman. AUTHOR'S NOTE: Bad Summary, I know. But this is my novel for the Batman story from beginning to end.


**BATMAN: SHADOWS OF GOTHAM**

_~Prologue~_

* * *

The boy ran across the panoptic yard as he kicked the ball to seethe it forward, and follow. He grabbed the ball, and upwardly threw it above him. The ball then flew up to the open air, and slowly lingered up for a few seconds. The boy widened his arms separately, and summoned his palms. The ball came down with a force almost strong enough to make the kid grunt. The boy did it again, but with a gale so strong. Instead, the ball flew forward and staggered towards the yard's fountain grass ambit.

But a pair of small, blubber, hands reached and grabbed the boy's ball. The boy turned to identify who's hands was it. It was another boy. Instead, the strange boy was completely different from the other. The ball holding boy was plump, short, and replete. The other was thin, taller, and a straight figure. The ball holding boy smiled at the other as he reached the ball out to the other.

"So you must be the Waynes' child, huh?" asked the chubby boy

"Yes.." replied the other

"I'm the new gardener's son, Ethan." the chubby boy avowed

"Hi.." replied the other

"So you're shy?" Ethan divulged

"Kinda.." the other replied

"That's okay. So, you wanna play with me?! I mean, if you don't wanna, because you're a rich kid and most rich kids ar-" Ethan confided, but was cut-off by the other

"Yes. I do wanna play." the other boy said, and passed the ball to Ethan

"Okay, let's play... Catch!" Ethan advised

The other boy nodded, and ran rearward towards the edge of the yard's cultivated plant area. The edge was a abyss that looked like it ran forever. Ethan ran back also, and gesticulated his arms back with the ball. He then stood, and jibed the ball high in the air. The other boy towered his hands above him, and catched the ball. The boy gestured his hands forward, and the ball flew up high.

Ethan catched the ball, and lunged it back to the boy. The perennial cycle went on for more minutes, and the boy felt more thriving to be Ethan's friend. Ethan catched another ball from the boy, and threw it back. The boy catched it, and saw his two parents walk towards the terrace not too tall from the bushes underneath it. The boy grinned, and raveled towards them, giving Ethan a 'time-out' sign.

The boy, with his natural acrobatic skills, climbed up to the terrace. He then sat between his parents on a lawn chair.

"Dear. Please don't climb up the walls like some mounting maniac." said his mother

"Sorry, mom. I just wanted to tell dad something." the boy apologized

"Sure, son. Tell me anything." his dad asserted

"Are we still going to watch 'The Mark of Zorro'"? the boy asked

"Of course we are, why not? It's Friday. Plus, your mother wants to go out, and maybe check out the new cabaret club that's opened up around Monarch."

"And we ARE going to that cabaret! Gina's told me everything about it." his mother assured

"Alright! Umm, dad. Where's my mask? I wanna wear it when we get there!" the boy asked his father

"It's over at your room. But do not startle over it, Alfred's going to get it for you when we leave." his father affirmed

"Another thing, dad. That boy there, is my new friend. He's really cool!"

"I'm happy for that. Because one thing that I always knew is that you need plenty of people to know if you wanna get by in the world. Son, show him some respect, have fun. He and his mother are staying here for many reasons, and one is because he needs a roof above him and a friend next to him." the boy's father confided

"I will dad!" the boy promised

"Good. And son, take care of that ball. It's new." his father ordered

The boy smiled, and ran towards Ethan. So felicitous that the boy was, he told Ethan to throw the ball at him. Ethan quickly gestured the ball, but the boy couldn't haul the ball, and it zoomed past him. The ball quickly rolled to the edge of the hole, and it fell in. His father quickly got up from his seat, dotty.

"That's the first thing I told him not to do!" his father yelped

"BE CAREFUL, HONEY!" his mother yelled

The boy ran towards the hole and postured down on his knees, looking down the hole. The ball's thud echoed up to the boy's ears as it hit the ground. He then yelled out to Ethan, as he slowly jousted forward to get a better eyeshot. The boy's hands slipped, as his body plunged down towards the hole. His body planked down the hole, and he soon crashed to the ground, and demeaned hard enough to splash the water underneath.

The boy's father ran towards the hole with his wife behind him. The father then looked down to see his fallen son in a fetal position. The boy laid on the side of his face, dismayed to what he saw. A group of cold-blooded, vileness, bats all hanging on each side of a small gap where the ball is resting.

The boy, anxiously, reached slowly for the ball. His hand, only a few inches from the ball, accidentally stirred a bat, causing it to fly over the boy. The other bats followed along, with more and more exiting the gap. Soon the hole, which is actually a well, was filled with a giant swarm of bats. The boy's father, quickly pulled his head back to keep the bats away from him.

Meanwhile the boy, still curled up, looks upon the gap. The terse careens sticking out from the gap dripped with water, as each drop impinged with the ground, the boy thought about the creatures flopping over him, like a demon's wings foundering up and down as it's body gazes the underground looking at it's dupe. The shape of the gap was peculiar and very significant, the sharp points all joined up to develop a form, and the gap astonishingly resembled the shape of it's possessor. A bat.

* * *

_~Deprivation~_

"Bruce! Are you okay, son?!" his father called up to him

Bruce continued to redact on his side, on the puddle of impure water. His father, Thomas Wayne, then ran towards the mansion their family has owned for centuries. The Wayne Family, a robust, illustrious family were known to many citizens of Gotham City. Gotham was a city full of slump, violence, and umbrage. The city itself was tearing itself apart due to the economical crisis and crime going on.

Each politician were either corrupt or a scuff working on the Q.T. with criminals. Thomas Wayne worked as the CEO of the world famous, Wayne Enterprises. The company developed many ripe gadgets or systems to clear up the streets of Gotham in which they donated the technology to the police department or simply to advance Gotham into a better future city.

Thomas came back with a tenacious rope. He slowly lowered the rope to allow Bruce to hold on to it, and lift him up. Bruce embossed himself up, and held on to the rope. Thomas stood up, and with all his might, pulled the rope back to elevate Bruce. Once Bruce was back up, Thomas gestated Bruce to the mansion. Bruce's face, caked with mud and dripping with brown-colored water, was still white from the fear he's faced.

"Honey! Are you okay?!" Bruce's mother, Martha, hollered

"He's okay, Martha. He's just trembling from the bats." Thomas replied for Bruce

"Bats?! There's bats where?" Martha asked

"In the well down the hill. We've got to cover that thing before one of those vampire creatures fly up to this house." Thomas addressed

An elderly man wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt and black bowtie then entered Bruce's room, as Thomas sat him down.

"Master Thomas, is there anything I can present to you?" asked the man, who's the Waynes' butler

"Maybe a few painkillers for Bruce and a glass of mineral water, Alfred." Thomas ordered

"Be right over." Alfred declared, as he left to the kitchen

"Bruce, are you alright, son?" Thomas asked Bruce

"Yes, dad." Bruce replied, holding Thomas' hand

"Are you still good enough to watch Zorro?" Thomas asserted

"Yeah, I guess. My arms is maybe going to bruise up, and my leg has a few scratches, but I'm alright." Bruce assured

"Good. Look Bruce, to tell you the truth, that thing back there scared me. When you fell, even I felt like I was going to collapse. Son, I get worried easy, but not as easy as your mother." Thomas explained, laughing, as did Bruce "Bruce. I'm going to let you grow up like any young boy is. When you grow up, you have to face every obstacle life throws at you. But when I'm gone, you'll face them yourself. There's no need to rush now, you're eight and I'm thirty two, we're still young, right? Just be ready Bruce, promise me." Thomas remarked sticking his pinkie out

Bruce smiled at Thomas, and crossed his pinkie with Thomas'. He then sat up and hugged his father.

"I promise dad." Bruce replied

Martha stood leaning on the doorway's side, she smiled at Thomas and Bruce, and clamped the two them. Alfred entered the room with a tray of analgesic and mineral water. He banded the tray on a night stand next to Bruce, as Thomas grabbed the pills and water.

"Sorry to interrupt your little family jiffy." Alfred joked

"Alfred, you're also part of the family, you've served me when I was around Bruce's age." Thomas crowed

"And what a little brat you were, Master Thomas." Alfred jeered

"Alfred, can you make a commitment?" Thomas asked

"Anything." Alfred stated

"Serve Bruce when he needs it. Because Alfred, like I said, you're part of the family."

* * *

**Monarch Theater, Gotham City**

The theater was a replete house. Crowds of people exited the theater chanting many things about the movie scenes. Bruce, Thomas, and Martha exited the theater. Bruce was dressed up as Zorro with a masque complete with a black and red cape, and fedora.

"Wow that movie was great, dad!" Bruce bleated

"It sure was!" Thomas vowed

"Zorro cut through those guys like scissors! He's my new favorite hero! Well, my second favorite!" Bruce screamed, looking at Thomas and smiling

"So, Bruce? Wanna got to that cabaret your mother wants us to got to?" Thomas asked

"If it means spending more time with you guys, then yes!" Bruce marveled

"Alright. Let's cut through here, It'll get us to Alfred in half the time." Thomas broke in

"C'mon, keep up Bruce." Martha ordered

The three walked through the iniquity, lithe, alleyway. Homeless men building fires in barrels, rodents scurried across every corner, and steam revolted from many manholes. The alleyway was a one way ticket to a Gotham City museum. Bruce grew anxious each step they took.

But Thomas clinched Bruce's hand to show his safety. Just as they were about to exit the horrific alley, a man stopped them. From what it looked like, the man was holding a gun. He pointed the armament at Thomas who now let go of Bruce's hand. Thomas towered his arms above him.

"Give me everything that's on you, now! Money, jewelry, gold, watches, necklaces!" The man echoed

"Okay, okay! Here." Thomas said, handing over his wallet and watch

"Huh, Thomas Wayne!? The one and only. Y'know, Falcone's not very fund of you, he get's wretched everytime the name Wayne comes up in the TV." the man trilled

"Look, this doesn't have to be personal, alright?" Thomas murmured

"Actually it does. Your company put half of our men in jail. GCPD, they've gotten lucky because of your little toys." the man hollered

"How very tragic.." Thomas jeered

"Yeah. And so is this!" the man yelled, firing a round

BANG!

Thomas' body clanged to the ground. Bruce then griped and fell to his knees next to Thomas, as Martha yelled out for help. The man, now angered, pointed the gun at Martha.

"This'll shut you up!" the man yelped, firing another round before Bruce noticed

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Martha was killed almost instantly. Three clouts embarked Martha's body, as a jet of her blood sprayed on the walls, and Bruce. Bruce turned to see his deceased mother. He couldn't believe it one bit. Both of his parents, murdered, infront of him. The man was then panic-stricken when the sounds of police alarms echoed throughout the streets.

The man ran, as Bruce sat between the bodies of his parents, crying, sobbing. But he reminded himself of what his father said, "I'm going to let you grow up like any young boy is. When you grow up, you have to face every obstacles life throws at you. But when I'm gone, you'll face them yourself."

A police officer then found Bruce, sobbing between his parent's bodies. He walked up to Bruce, and laid his hand on his shoulder.

"My name is James Gordon, come with me son."


End file.
